Something to Protect
by RosannaPhantom2008
Summary: Hawke hasn't felt like himself sense the lose of his last family member. Fenris leaving him before the death of his mother didn't help much either. Fenris needs Hawke's help with slavers in a cave that he heard has a large group of slaves ready to be shipped off and sold to the highest bidder. Things go wrong and everything becomes a race against time. M/Hawke/Fenris
1. Chapter 1

It hurt… It burned like acid to my body… the feeling of no longer having something for me to fight for… to protect…

Bethany… my only little sister… the only daughter of my family… was gone first… taken from us by the ogre… the blighted dark spawns... Mother first blamed me for his death, but later apologized for doing so, knowing that there was nothing I could have done to protect her… but she is right… so very, very right. I should have been the one that was close to her protecting her. I am the oldest, and my mistake cost Bethany her life. She and I always shared a connection that was very special. She could get away with just about anything and I couldn't get mad at her. All she had to do was beat her lashes at me innocently and I would cave. I miss my sister dearly.

Carver… my stubborn, thick headed little brother, he was next, taken from my side by the dark spawn… I shouldn't have let him come, I should have talked him out of wanting to go. Should have talked him into trying to talk Aveline into giving him a chance at being a guard. I would even take him being a Templar if it meant saving his life from the taint. Anything is better than what he got. We never honestly, truly, got along. But we could have understood each other after we grew up some more. No one would ever know now… Now that one, I know mother blames me for, no matter what she tries to tell me after she calmed down. My mother, always wanting me to have some peace at mind.

Oh mother… my last dear family member… murdered and turned into a horrible puppet in hopes of a fool man's dream… She was the only person I had left to look after, but I wasn't fast enough. I did not act quickly enough. I could have pushed myself to move faster, or I could have warned her about the murderer… even though I had no idea the lilies were the connection to it all, I could have told her to be more careful… Once again… my mistake killed another member of my family.

Threw all the good I have done, for all the people I have helped and saved… they all seem to mean nothing now. Everyone that I love dies or leaves me… My father, sister, brother, and my mother… That handsome elf I have grown to truly love over the past 6 years even left me.

Sense I took the Arishok down, I try to use any time I have going out, hunting slaver, bandits, and all the kind to keep my mind off of the pain. But, more so than not, I am at home, counting my sorrows. I know the others worry for me for my overall lack of interest in anything that could be considered good for Kirkwall but… it's hard to protect a city that has taken so much out of me and not shown any sort of gratitude… I do get praised for my help and rewarded with coin, but I know better. I know they are only doing so because, in the end, they fear what I am. A tainted person with the curse of magic.

I need a family… someone I can hold, trust and protect… Yeah the gang is a second family to me, but they can all hold their own and so there really is no need to protect them… the only one who would need any sort of protection is Marrell, but she has Varric and Isabella. Aveline has herself and Donic, though she never needed help in the first place, while Fenris and Anders usually keep to themselves.

Bodahn and his son were still here, and take the best care of me, but I know that eventually they will leave me as well. Living here wasn't exactly helping with his business. Sooner or later I will be completely alone here.

Well, that's not true. Orana will be here working still. But I know the others would watch after her.

Right at this moment I am sitting on my bed looking into the fire, deep into my own thoughts, but they were soon broken once Fenris came bursting through the door.

"Hawke!" He called out. "I have information on some slavers outside of the city! They have a large group of elves and humans a like that they plan on selling off!" He yelled out, not wasting even a second, same old Fenris.

"We better go stop them before they get a chance then." I answered back to him as I stood up, my voice sounded as if it was the most important thing that needed to be done in my lifetime, but I knew my eyes told a different story. The only reason why I agree to do any missions now is to simply use up my time that I have so much of now days, though at the same time I knew this was very important to Fenris, so, though I didn't feel like it, it's important to me as well. Scratching the stubble on my chin I walked across the room towards my armor and grabbed the pants off the rack.

"I'll run and get Anders –", I cut myself off as I got a glare from him. "I know you REALLY don't like him, but his healing magic is very useful, you know that I honestly no good at that." I stated as I rolled my eyes from his stare. "But anyway, go grab Varric then we will meet right outside the city." By this time I had at least gotten my armor pants and boots on. Looking up Fenris was still giving me his glare. "If you keep glaring at me like that then I'll make you go get Anders instead." I glared back at him.

"Fine, just make it quick…" Fenris sneered and quickly left the room.

Letting out a sigh I got my top armor on, along with my clawed gloves, and to finish it off, I threw my large staff across my back.

"Honestly, why Fenris still talk to me? I know his great dislike of mages. And after what happened a few months back… " I started to think, but shook the thoughts out of my head as they formed. "No point thinking about it now… What's done is done. It was a fool's notion to think that anything would become a mage and a man who hates everything mages are." I finished with a sigh as I headed to the door.

"Today is going to be a long day… I just know it…" I let out a sigh and left my home and headed off to Dark town.


	2. Chapter 2

It didn't take too long to get to Dark town and snag up Anders… though snagging him up was a little harder than the trip down there. Getting that man away from his manifesto was always a challenge. But after a few threats of shoving my blades in places they shouldn't be if he kept fighting me on him going out and actually getting some sun on his pale ass, he got the message and decided to fallow me out of the city, where we met Fenris and Varric.

Though right after arriving Andres and Fenris were already starting to give each other death glares in hopes that the looks they were giving one another would make the other drop dead on the spot. Augh… sometimes I would much rather deal with Marrell blood magic healing ways then deal with these two together… Though… Marrell here wouldn't help much with Fenris anyway, but at least Marrell doesn't hate Fenris so that would make things just a little bit easier.

"Why are you bothering Hawke with your problems all the time? Can't you do anything on your own for once? Or does need to fallow someone still beaten into your skull." Anders snarls at Fenris.

"Like you are one to talk Abomination. You are always on Hawke's heels with the same drab every day." Fenris sneered back, using just as much venom in his voice.

Smacking my hand onto my face I shook my head. "Please… for the Makers sake, don't try to kill each other today… I really don't want to deal with it…" I sighed once again making both of them look over at me, and getting a small chuckle from Varric.

"Hawke, you know as well as I do that the day that those two get along is the day I wake up and find out I'm an Elf ." Varric laughed at his own joke that he made about the situation.

I let out yet another sigh. "That's very true sadly…" I rubbed my forehead and walked ahead of them, but grabbed Fenris' arm to make sure that him and Anders stayed away from each other. "We are here cause of you, so you get to stay up here with me to help lead the way."

Fenris nodded and quickly pulled his arm away from my grasp. I knew it was out of habit but it still hurt a bit none the less. Shrugging it off as we all walked in a, more or less, comfortable silence.

"They are hiding out in a nearby cave, one of which we have been to many times. Why they chose that spot is beyond me…" Fenris explained to me and the others.

"It might be a trap, we best keep out guard up." Anders stated from the back of the group.

We all nodded at once as we soon saw the cave within our sites. Reaching over my shoulders I pulled my staff off my back and crouched down near the ground and had Varric stalk closer to the mouth of the cave. He grunted as he spotting some traps almost carelessly places, as if they were rushed setting them up. He made quick work on deactivating them then nodded at me telling me everything was clear.

"Alright… stay close. We don't know anything about this group besides the fact that they need to be gotten rid of…" I whispered over my shoulder, getting a nod from the others.

Making our way down the tunnel nothing seemed to be going on. "Something just doesn't feel right…" Anders pointed out from the back.

"For once I agree with the abomination… it's too quiet…" Fenris pointed at from behind me.

"Hmph, that's a new one…" Varric stated at the fact that Fenris and Ander's agreed on something.

"That just means we have to keep our guard up… that's all…" I pointed out keeping my eyes staring straight ahead.

Quite a few feet later we found a large opening that showed the large group of slavers standing about, weapons drawing, as if they were expecting someone to come any moment.

I saw a glow from the corner of my eye and knew Fenris was about to run in there head first and start fighting right off the bat, but I held my arm out in front of him before he could get past me. "Wait a moment…"

"They aren't going to wait a moment for us to be ready before cutting us down, or taking us in as there new slave trade." He growled at me.

I knew that he was mad, but we had to think about this. "There are too many for them to be running in head strong… we need to find the leader and take him out first… that's our best chance right now…" I stated not even looking back at him, scanning the area to see if I could spot anyone that could be known as 'boss' to these men.

"How much longer do we have to wait? We could have been half way to the drop point by now!" One of the men complained from the back of the room as he was leaned against a pillar.

"The boss said we have to wait till our special cargo has arrived, capture him, then we can leave." Another stated as he cleaned from under his fingers using his blade.

"But what if this 'special cargo' brings his friends like he always does.?" He called back.

"Then we either take out his comrades, or get them separate… Either way, there is no way that they can fallow us." The man from before quickly answered, he flicked something out from under his nail.

"They must be after me…" Fenris sneered from the information that they all just heard.

"Oh yes, because you are just so important that every slaver wants to take you home with them…" Anders said bluntly sarcastic.

"Not now you two… We still need to pick out who's in charge…" I snapped at them taking my eyes off of the men for a moment to glare at the two behind me. Turning back I kept scanning the area… that had the best armor… best weapons… something to that will give me some information… My eyes then shot to a man in the corner… his eyes were hard, built very broad, and he had at least 3 people standing around him, like body guards. "Bingo…" I whispered and held my hand next to me, concealing it as much as I can and began to charge up a lightning attack. It will be a stretch, but if he could at least get one of them, then it would reach the boss with the chain reaction. "Get ready you three… I'm going to take out the leader now…" I hid in the shadows and focused my eyes on him. Not releasing my power until I KNEW that I have charged up enough. Breathing in and out I calmed my nerves, at that very moment I shoved my hand out from our hiding place and blasted all three of the men at once, getting the boss just like I had planned.

He let out a cry as the lighting jolted threw his nerves.

Blast, it didn't kill him like Hawke wanted, but it would have to do for now.

Before the boss could regain himself and say anything all the men in the room started to swarm right near where the others and myself hid, "Now!" I yelled and we all ran into the room, I was the fastest of them so I got to one of the men in the face with a fireball before anyone else even had a chance.

The others got cut off by a few of the slavers. The man that I had thrown the lightning at was spouting orders to him men as he tried to get control of his body again.

"Sir!" ,one of his men ran up to him and whispered something to him, getting a nod from their boss. "Frudak, activate it now!" He yelled out to a mage that was across the way from him, who seemed to have not moved when the fight broke out. The mage nodded at him and started to weave a fire spell in his hand as he focused on aiming it at the caves ceiling.

By this time I had killed at least 3 of his men and I kept advancing. I did not notice how the others seemed to have a hard time keeping up with me, for they were very far away, not even close to be able to watch my back properly, though Fenris was now quickening his way to be at my side, my rush was that I wished for the mission to be over… Within moments Fenris was a much safer distance near me and for that I was grateful. My focus was shattered the moment I heard an almost deafening explosion. Spinning around I could see the roof of the cave collapsing right over Fenris' head. In that moment Fenris stood still from pure shock his mouth opened wide as the rocks started plummeting down to his body. In a flash I ran towards him and shoved his body out of harm's way as hard as I could, sending him flying through the air and as his body landed on the ground he slid across the ground.

Before I even had a chance to get myself out of the way 5 of the men that we were fighting came up behind me and dragged me out of the way. "Hey! What in Adraste's name do you think you're doing!?" I yelled out flailing my arms and legs around to try to get lose. Everything was happening so fast that it seemed like it all was going in slow motion… an odd thing to be honest but very true. One of the last things that I saw before feeling a sharp pain on the back of my head was Fenris getting up from where he had landed and tried to run to my rescue…. Only to be cut off by the boulders.


	3. Chapter 3

~Fenris' POV~

I clawed away at the rocks, trying my hardest to get to Hawke. There must be a way to save him from those damn stains on the earth. My claws made very unpleasant sounds as they scraped against the large boulders, but I cared little.

"Broody! Stop it!" I heard Varric yell behind me, followed by the feeling of his large hand on my shoulder, forcing me to stop.

"What gives you the right to stop me?" I yelled at him in my own anger as my brands flared to life.

"I'm trying to make you see this sensibly… They buried themselves INSIDE the cave right? That means that there is another way out." Varric stated.

He had a point so I simply made my way around him and past the abomination and started sprinting towards the entrance. "Then we must hurry!" I yelled overall not caring if they could keep up or not. My main focus was to save Hawke. He was the very person that kept everything together, even if his mind wasn't. Yes, I had noticed the drastic change in Hawke's attitude towards many things over the past few months after becoming the Champion of Kirkwall. I may be blind in most matters outside of my own, but I'm not stupid.

"Hawke was knocked out right after he was pulled out of harm's way of the collapsing cave!" Anders called out from the very back.

"Great, that means he can't defend himself worth anything now…" Varric almost murmured under his breath.

I simply ignored the two behind me as I ran out of the cave entrance and started to climb up the side, trying to find anything that could be an exit. Keeping my eyes peeled for any signs of any of the slavers. The more I looked around the more aggravated I got. This was my completely fault… if I had just kept closer to Hawke… If I just… The more I thought about it, angrier with MYSELF that I got. This was my responsibility and so I would keep looking for Hawke till he was safe again. "I won't fail you Hawke…" I whispered to myself.

"Hey! I think I found it!" Varric yelled waving his hand to get everyone's attention. Running over to him he moved a large bush out of the way showing an opening. "It's worth a try right?" He asked us both, getting a nod from the abomination. I said nothing and pushed past the bush into the opening and ran the fasted my legs would carry me down the tunnel. Pushing my body even harder as I saw some light at the end, I got threw the opening first, "Hawke!" I screamed hoping to the maker that he was still there. But my cries were answered with a sickening silence and an overall empty room. Only rocks and the bodies of the foes that we all had managed to slay before the deed was done.

I felt my shoulders slump down as I fell to my knees. "Gone… it can't be…" Sitting there grieving for only a few moments.

The others showed up behind me, but I paid no mind to them. Neither said anything for they were at a loss of words as well.

Then, they heard the slightest noise that was not the sounds of some of the loose rocks falling from there spots. The sound of a person coming to.

Shooting my head up I scanned the area with my eyes and saw a man lying near the rock wall slowly starting to stand up and put his hand on his head.

Not wasting a moment I was on my feet and was on the man in a second. Not bothering to wait till the man's head was clear or not. I grabbed him by his armored chest and gave him a nice hard punch across the face. "Where did they take him! And maker help you if you even pretend to not know who I am talking about!" Yelling with my marking flaring bright.

It took the man a second to understand what I was saying and then he smirked. "You think I will tell a knife ear like you?" He laughed, but only for a second for he then felt my fist in his chest holding onto his heart. He gasped from the sudden pain and looked at me with fear in his widened eyes. "Wha- what in Andraste's name?" He called out in pain, only to feel me squeeze tighter over his ever faster beating heart. "Alright! Alright! I'll talk!" The man yelled, fearing for his life that I held in my hand. "Tantervale! That is we're they will be till the man who wants him shows up!" The man oh so willingly told me.

"Who is this person? And where is the exact location?" I sneered at him, tilting my head down to give him an extra hard glare.

"I don't know who they are! I don't even know the exact location! Please! You have to believe me!" The terrified man yelled to me. "I am not lying!"

"I believe you…" I told the man with an even tone. The man relaxed as one does with a hand in their chest. "Because dying men don't lie." I finished and I saw the fear come back to his eyes ready to plea one last time, but was cut short as I crushed his life source in my fist.

I dropped the lifeless body down with a hard thud and quickly got back up to my feet then pushed past the other two who stood quietly with unreadable expressions on their faces. No matter what I was going to find Hawke and get him back even if it kills me. In order to do that, I need to make a trip to the Tantervale.


End file.
